Vice Presidents of the Chamber Vladimir Padalko and Dmitry Kurochkin met on September 25 with a delegation from the Sultanate of Oman, which presented Russian entrepreneurs with the investment potential. A delegation from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment Promotion of Oman is in Moscow to present the National Investment and Export Development Program of the Sultanate of Oman “Nazdahir” and hold a number of working meetings with large Russian companies.   In his speech, Vladimir Padalko noted the great interest in cooperation with Oman and called the Chamber’s task “to popularize projects in Russia that can be done with Oman.” V. Padalko especially emphasized the importance of cooperation with Russian regions, which have unique capabilities. Vice President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Dmitry Kurochkin spoke about the Russian side’s readiness to invest in tourism and real estate. “We are preparing projects that would be interesting for Oman,” he said, noting the great work in this direction done at the Russia-Islamic World Summit held in Kazan. In their presentation, representatives of the Sultanate of Oman noted that their country has a strong financial foundation, resistant to unfavorable economic conditions and geopolitical risks, strong diplomatic and trade relations at the regional and international levels. This country represents one of the most reliable financial systems in the Middle East. According to visitors, the Sultanate of Oman has a history of remaining strong and resilient, always managing to offset the negative economic impact of global downturns such as the recent pandemic, events in Ukraine and the Great Recession. According to the World Bank, the Sultanate of Oman is one of the most politically stable economies in the Middle East, ranking 3rd. The presentation stated that the Sultanate of Oman has a variety of world-class logistics and infrastructure, which play a vital role in increasing business efficiency, expanding trade flows and reducing transportation costs. Oman has an extensive road network of more than 11,000 km, connecting all major cities in the country and neighboring countries. Strategically located commercial ports operated by world renowned companies. Oman has 5 commercial ports: 3 maritime and 2 industrial, and there are also airports with a wide network of routes around the world. There are only 5 international and domestic airports in Oman.   Alexey Rubtsov, Chairman of the Russian-Oman Business Council, Deputy General Director for Project Management and Investments of VO Promsyreimport JSC, spoke to the participants of the extended meeting of the Russian-Oman Business Council (ROBC), who presented the areas of greatest interest for cooperation with Russia. Alexey Rubtsov, in his speech, focused on the prospects for the development of domestic projects in Oman, as well as expanding the practice of systematically conducting online consultations with representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Investment, Omani entrepreneurs in specific industries. It is advisable to organize such online conferences with interested company representatives together with the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Russian Export Center with the support of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. Holding extended conferences will make it possible to most fully inform domestic business about the conditions provided by the Sultanate of Oman, and to form a pool of projects on the Russian side for their practical implementation, taking into account the availability of various incentive programs in the Sultanate, including Nazdahir. The Russian-Omani Business Council (ROBC) was created on August 31, 2005. In September 2022, Alexey Rubtsov became Chairman of the Russian-Oman Business Council. The meeting was attended by the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Russian Federation Hamud Salim Al Tuwaikh, the President of the National Investment and Export Development Program of the Sultanate of Oman Khalid Al Shuaibi, the head of the investment direction of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment Promotion Khadija Al Sakatari and others.   Press Service of the Chamber, By Peter Cheremushkin

On September 20, a delegation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation headed by its President Sergei Katyrin is on a working trip to the Chechen Republic.   A meeting is planned with Chairman of the Government Muslim Khuchiev, Deputy Chairman of the Government, Minister of Finance Sulman Tagaev and Minister of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade Rustam Shaptukaev.   The parties will discuss, in particular, issues on the development of joint interaction, on holding the Islamic Economic Forum in the region with the participation of representatives of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, and the State Duma.   A trilateral cooperation agreement will also be signed between the Government of the Republic, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Chechen Republic.   Sergey Katyrin will take part in a joint meeting of the associations of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Southern Federal District and the North Caucasus Federal District, at which they will discuss the development of the branch network of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, diversification of services to business through the organization of interaction between the chambers and partnerships with authorities. Press Service of the Chamber

On September 19, Vice-President of the Chamber Vladimir Padalko moderated a visiting meeting of the Russian-Georgian Business Council (RGBC), held with the support of the Chamber of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania in Vladikavkaz.   The meeting participants, among whom were members of the Russian Georgian Business Council, representatives of companies from Georgia and Ossetia, as well as ministries and departments of federal and republican significance, got acquainted with the work of the infrastructure of the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint and very positively assessed its capabilities after reconstruction.   At the meeting, a wide range of issues of the transport and logistics component in Russian-Georgian relations were discussed, including the importance of the services of insurance brokers and lawyers, the transit of goods through the territory of Georgia, as well as the need to unblock maritime passenger and cargo traffic between Russia and Georgia.   The parties’ steps to resume railway communication through the territory of Abkhazia were also recognized as important.   The participants discussed projects in the field of infrastructure and logistics, including such a megaproject as the construction of the Caucasus Pass Railway. The project was presented by the Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Ingushetia, Vladimir Slastenin. There was also a meeting between Vladimir Padalko and the Chairman of the Government of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania Boris Dzhanaev.   The Russian-Georgian Business Council under the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry was created on February 6, 2023. Yuri Balashov was elected its chairman. Since then, 3 meetings and 2 business missions have been held.   Department of External Relations

On September 19, during a working visit to Ingushetia, President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergei Katyrin met in Magas with the head of the Republic, Mahmud-Ali Kalimatov. The parties discussed the economic potential of the republic, prospects for the development of small and medium-sized businesses, mutual cooperation between the region and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Among other things, the issue of allocation by the authorities of the republic of a land plot for the construction of a building for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Ingushetia was raised.   “In general, there is a positive development trend. Now Ingushetia is set to integrate deep into Russia, and the sooner this happens, the better it will be for all interested parties. You actively interact with the regions, successfully implement various projects, and your support is also very important to us. Thank you very much, this is very serious for us,” said the head of Ingushetia.Sergei Katyrin noted that the republic is gaining momentum in the process of socio-economic development. This dynamics increases the investment potential of the region. “Today we had the opportunity to see this personally, we saw everything with our own eyes. In addition, you and your team were able to return a major investor to the republic, and this indicates that they have serious trust in you. Having visited a number of sites, we were convinced that this is truly a dynamically developing region. This is, first of all, the merit of you and your team. We supported you and will continue to do so,” said Sergei Katyrin.   The head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry also noted the effective work of the regional chamber, headed by Radmila Nalgieva. “The number of members of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Ingushetia has increased significantly, our common projects are being implemented and our own initiatives are being introduced. We liked the idea of the children's project “My Family Business,” in which children talk about the entrepreneurial activities of their families. In addition, the Ingush Chamber of Commerce and Industry is actively engaged in a business mission, attracting entrepreneurs from other regions to the republic,” said the President of the RF Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The meeting was also attended by the director of the Department of Regional Development of the  Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ilya Zubkov, the chairman of the Association of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the North Caucasian Federal District, the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Stavropol Territory Boris Obolenets, and the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Ingushetia Radmila Nalgieva. As a result of the meeting, an Agreement on cooperation was concluded between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Republic of Ingushetia and the Union “Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Ingushetia”. The signing ceremony was attended by the federal inspector in the republic, Vitaly Smirnov, who read out an appeal from the plenipotentiary representative of the President of Russia in the North Caucasus Federal District, Yuri Chaika.   The delegation of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry took part in the Presentation of the investment potential of the Republic of Ingushetia.   Members of the delegation visited the Tower of Concord - the tallest building in Ingushetia with the tallest observation tower in the North Caucasus.   The delegation visited the Ali-Yurt industrial zone, where they got acquainted with the activities of the 4BRA garment factory, the Riak aluminum alloy plant, a baby food plant and a workshop for the production of local wastewater treatment facilities.   Press Service of the Chamber

The prospects for expanding trade and economic relations, as well as developing ties between the business circles of Russia and the Dominican Republic, were discussed on September 14 at a meeting of the Director of the Chamber’s Department of External Relations, Alexander Kopkov, with the Trade Counselor of the Embassy of this Central American country in Moscow, Nelson Ortega. “The pandemic years have taught us that without personal contacts between entrepreneurs, especially during exhibitions, it is difficult to conduct business effectively. I urge your companies to participate more often in our congress and exhibition events, in particular at Expocentre,” noted Alexander Kopkov.   Nelson Ortega emphasized that companies from the Dominican Republic are interested in exporting goods to the Russian Federation. “Our large business - exporters of cigars, rum, fruits, despite the Western sanctions policy towards Russia, do not lose interest in the Russian market. We would like to ask for support from the Chamber to enter your small and medium-sized business market,” said the counselor at the Dominican Republic Embassy. Alexander Kopkov supported the initiative of his Latin American colleague and explained that Dominican business can count on the support of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.“In connection with changes in the foreign economic situation, favorable conditions are currently being formed on the Russian market, which Dominican exporters can take advantage of to increase the volume of goods imported to the Russian Federation and expand their range. At the same time, additional opportunities are opening up to expand cooperation with Russian regions. Our regional chambers are called upon to contribute to this,” noted Alexander Kopkov.   According to him, the development of business relations between our countries is currently hampered by problems related to logistics and finance. The resumption of direct flights to the Dominican Republic, as well as resolving the issue of using bank cards of the MIR payment system, could make a great contribution to increasing the level of business activity between entrepreneurs in our countries.   Press Service of the Chamber

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, by the will of fate and the Russian state, acts as a moderator and is responsible for the work of the national parts of Russia in the BRICS and SCO Business Council, and together with the RSPP and the EAEU Business Council. This was announced on September 12 by the Vice President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vladimir Padalko, who spoke in Vladivostok before the participants in the meeting of the Eastern Economic Forum section “EAEU and BRICS: role in the formation of a new multipolar world.” According to the Vice President of the Chamber, the content of all three integration associations corresponds to the activities of the RF Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “If the EAEU and BRICS are a pure economy, then the SCO is an organization dealing with regional security issues, and the work is built taking into account this specificity,” he said. “What is the BRICS Business Council?” - Vladimir Padalko wondered. “By decree of the President of the Russian Federation, five large companies were delegated as the main link of Russian participation in this Business Council. It included the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Russian Railways, Vnesheconombank, RDIF (Russian Direct Investment Fund) and Rostec. These five, taking other companies with them, represented the Russian business community in the BRICS Business Council,” said V. Padalko.   There are 9 industry groups, which include our experts, said the Vice-President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In accordance with which country is the chairman of the association, we carry out full-fledged work in these industry groups. Russian Railways is responsible for its segment in transport and logistics. Rostec is responsible for industry, Vnesheconombank for currency and finance issues. Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation for small and medium-sized businesses. RDIF is a project.   “Of course, with our teams we cannot provide for the interests of the entire Russian business community. Naturally, we invite all industry associations of the Russian Federation and companies with state participation to our working groups,” said the Vice President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.   Once a year, a set of provisions is compiled that we would like to convey to the leadership of the five, and now 11, states, including those that will join BRICS in 2024. At the BRICS summit, which takes place annually, the head of the national part that chairs the Business Council reports to the leadership of the “five” and reports these proposals so that they are then submitted to national governments for consideration.   Starting this year, it is important for us to integrate into the work of the BRICS Business Council those who join our ranks from January 1, 2024. Russia should use its BRICS chairmanship to “immerse” new members into our agenda and explain to them the rules of the game by which we have already been working for 10 years. This will be either a summit or a conference within a summit and there is no need to wait, but to involve and explain, Vladimir Padalko informed. After the creation of the EAEU, much was unclear, but through national ministries of economic development, guidelines were made that later also turned out to be insufficient. Now we have come to order, and it has become easier for us to enter into practice and easier to convey our agenda and our desires to the Eurasian Economic Commission.   Of course, Vladimir Padalko admitted, there are difficulties in how to explain to BRICS members some of the features of the EAEU, for example, in the field of customs rules. Our main task is to ensure that our partners understand what we are striving for and where we are moving. We see this as the main goal of the Chamber’s work in the year of the Russian presidency of BRICS, and of all business associations, Vladimir Padalko said in conclusion. The discussion was also attended by Sammy Kotwani - President, Indian Business Alliance (IBA), Dmitry Krutoy - Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to the Russian Federation, Mikhail Myasnikovich - Chairman of the Board, Eurasian Economic Commission, Alexey Overchuk - Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Sergey Pavlov - First Deputy General Director, Russian Railways OJSC, Anil Suklal - Sherpa of the Republic of South Africa in BRICS, Sergey Storchak - Senior Banker, VEB.RF, He Zhenwei - Chairman, Chinese Association for the Development of Overseas Enterprises.   The discussion was moderated by Ksenia Komissarova, Editor-in-Chief of the International Media Network TV BRICS.   Press Service of the Chamber

On September 12, 2023, a meeting of the Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Far Eastern Federal District was held at the Eastern Economic Forum.   The meeting was chaired by the President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergei Katyrin. The work of the Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Far Eastern Federal District was attended by the Director of the Department of Regional Development of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Ilya Zubkov, the President of the FESCO Transport Group Arkady Korostelev, who delivered a welcoming speech, and the Managing Director of the Vladivostok Sea Trade Port Nikolay Ermolaev.   Assessing the activities of the Chambers of the Far Eastern Federal District in the first half of 2023, Sergei Katyrin noted positive dynamics in the provision of services and attracting member organizations. The growth of the total volume of services compared to the same period in 2022 was 16.7%, the growth of the membership base was 10%.   Work continues on the development of regional legislation on chambers of commerce and industry. Thus, in 2023, the law “On the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Amur Region” was adopted; this law became the seventh regional law on the Chamber of Commerce and Industry adopted in the Far Eastern Federal District, along with the Primorsky Territory, the Sakhalin Region, the Kamchatka Territory, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Jewish autonomous region, Trans-Baikal Territory.   Speaking about the goals and objectives facing the system of chambers of commerce and industry, Sergei Katyrin drew the attention of the meeting participants to a number of instructions from the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin following the results of the XXVI St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, aimed, in particular, at the development of tourism infrastructure, vocational education, small and medium-sized businesses.   Noting the importance of the expert activities of the Chamber system both for the chambers of commerce and industry themselves and for Russian entrepreneurs and the 100th anniversary of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry expertise, celebrated in 2023, Sergey Katyrin emphasized the importance of developing expert activities, diversifying the chambers’ portfolio of expert services, as well as standardization systems “ CCI Expert" and "Inspectsert".   Expanding the geographic presence of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the region through the development of a network of branches/representative offices is one of the priorities in the work of the district chambers.   “It is important not only to maintain the functioning of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry at a high level in one point - the regional center, but also to develop the activities of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry throughout the region. This allows us to be closer to businesses that are remote from the regional administrative center,” said Sergei Katyrin.   With regard to work in the Euro-Asian Economic Union, Sergei Katyrin noted the Chamber’s participation in the implementation of a special program for financing industrial cooperation from the EAEU budget. Support for cooperation in the EAEU will be carried out collectively with the participation of representatives of the chambers of all five countries of the Union, he said. In addition, Sergey Katyrin drew the attention of the heads of the Chambers of the Far Eastern Federal District to the need to develop the activities of public organizations at the chambers, regularly hold meetings with authorities on topical issues of business support, as well as the importance of meaningful participation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the implementation of the regional investment standard and personnel training for business.   President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Primorsky Territory, President of the Association of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Far Eastern Federal District Boris Stupnitsky, in his speech, touched upon the topic of the formation and implementation of the “Eastern Vector” policy by the system of chambers of commerce and industry in the Russian Federation: ““Turning to the East” is not just a nationwide trend, it is serious actions to building a new export eastern-oriented structure, including the transfer of vacant logistics capacities, human resources for servicing foreign trade activities, this is the adaptation of government measures to support exports, taking into account the country specifics of potential importers of Russian products, measures for the reconstruction of port and railway infrastructure.”  The period 2022–2023 has seen major changes. The cargo flow turned from west to east, and Primorye acted as the main connecting link in this process.   Speaking about the work of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Primorsky Territory, Boris Stupnitsky noted the restoration and development of information exchange between China and Primorye, the development of congress and exhibition activities, and the holding, at the initiative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Primorsky Territory, of the “Days of the Primorsky Territory” within the framework of the 32nd Harbin International Trade and Economic Fair.   “Over the past two years, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Primorsky Kray has significantly intensified its work in the Vietnamese direction. As a result of the joint activities of the Trade Representation of Vietnam, the FESCO group of companies, and the Primorsky Territory Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a direct sea container line from Vladivostok to the ports of Vietnam was opened,” said Boris Stupnitsky.

ASEAN is a well-established integration association that has significant weight in world trade. This was stated by the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, Sergei Katyrin, in his speech at the Russia-ASEAN business dialogue, held in Vladivostok on September 11 at the Eastern Economic Forum.   According to Sergei Katyrin, ASEAN is a serious association that is viewed with great interest by many countries seeking to establish a constructive dialogue with the Association. He recalled that ASEAN has existed since 1967, its countries are home to 667 million people and the Association's GDP is $3.6 trillion.   Russia has a desire to conduct a constructive dialogue with ASEAN, and we already have real achievements over the past period of interaction, and a road map for the development of cooperation is in place. In 2023, the 5th anniversary of the Russia-ASEAN strategic partnership is celebrated, S. Katyrin recalled.   “At the same time, Russia accounts for less than 1 percent of the foreign trade turnover of the ASEAN countries, and we and our colleagues in the Association countries would like these figures to change dynamically,” said Sergei Katyrin. Currently, Russia's share in the total trade balance of ASEAN countries is relatively small - 0.8% (compared to China - about 20%, the USA - 11%, or the EU - 8.3%).   The head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry emphasized: Russia has something to offer the ASEAN countries and, first of all, these are achievements in the field of digitalization. “We have something to share with colleagues from ASEAN countries, and first of all this is interaction with the population,” he said. Sergei Katyrin recalled that Russia has created a developed system of digital services between citizens and the state. There is a well-functioning system of the Federal Tax Service, we have achieved tangible success in terms of building so-called “smart cities”.   In addition to advanced technologies, there are opportunities in a broader sense, in many industries and areas of the economy. “In particular, this concerns food production and agriculture,” said S. Katyrin.   The President of the Russian Chamber named the organization of direct flights and the establishment of normal banking services as one of the most important problems in building contacts with ASEAN countries. According to him, Russia is actively moving to trade in national currencies, and last year 40 percent of foreign trade transactions were carried out in rubles. “It is possible to work in national currencies that are not affected by sanctions,” he noted.   It is important to build new transport and logistics chains, since sanctions create difficulties when servicing at seaports or when insuring cargo. According to the head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the North-South transport corridor has great prospects in the very near future.   Intercountry business dialogue in Southeast Asia should be intensified, and for this we need platforms like the one we are working on today, Katyrin said. He also recalled that in addition to the Russia-ASEAN Business Council at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a kind of “umbrella structure” for business interaction, 6 more business councils have been created that are actively working. In this regard, the head of the Chamber especially noted cooperation with countries such as Vietnam, with which a free trade agreement was signed. And such an agreement was recently signed with Indonesia, said the President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.   Sergei Katyrin emphasized the need to develop exhibition activities, which, according to him, are visual and allow one to effectively create business connections with colleagues. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation is promoting the topic of participation in exhibitions and we would like to see more active development of this area, said the President of the Chamber.   The discussion was attended by Igor Baylen, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Russia; Denis Butsaev, General Director, PPK Russian Ecological Operator, Nikolay Volobuev, Deputy General Director, Rostec State Corporation; Kan Zaw, Minister of Investment and External Economic Relations of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and others.   The meeting was moderated by Ivan Polyakov, Chairman of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council.   Photo: Victoria Lamzina, Roscongress Foundation

The delegation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation will take part in the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF-2023), which will be held on September 10-13 in Vladivostok. The main theme of the Forum is “Towards cooperation, peace and prosperity”.The Chamber's delegation will be headed by President Sergei Katyrin. He is scheduled to speak on September 11 at the Russia-ASEAN business dialogue, dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the strategic partnership. Also on this day, the head of the federal chamber will moderate the session “International commercial arbitration in modern conditions” and share the experience of the International Commercial Arbitration Court (ICAC) at the RF Chamber of Commerce and Industry.   The next day, September 12, the President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will speak at the session “EAEU and BRICS: role in the formation of a new multipolar world.” It is also planned to participate in it: Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexei Overchuk, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Mikhail Myasnikovich, Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to Russia Dmitry Krutoy, General Director - Chairman of the Board of JSC Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov.   Press Service of the Chamber 

President of the Chamber Sergei Katyrin, during a meeting on September 7 with the Ambassador of Iraq to Russia Qahtan Janabi, expressed the readiness of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Russian-Iraqi Business Council to provide comprehensive support to Iraqi business in contacts with the Russian business community.   The head of the Iraqi diplomatic mission, for his part, presented an extensive agenda for upcoming bilateral contacts. Including in connection with the upcoming visit to Russia of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.   The ambassador also announced the holding of the 47th international fair in Baghdad, in which Russian companies could take part. At the same time, it was proposed to hold a specialized exhibition of Russian industry in Iraq.   The parties discussed the possibility of holding a meeting of representatives of the business circles of Russia and Iraq at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. Sergei Katyrin called on the Iraqis to develop business cooperation with Russian regions that are interested in foreign markets and have great trade and economic potential.   “The range of goods in mutual trade should be expanded so that cooperation is not limited only to the oil and gas complex,” the head of the Chamber emphasized.   He also noted that the specialized exhibition Prodexpo, the largest international exhibition of food and beverages in Russia and Eastern Europe, is traditionally of great interest to foreign businesses. It will take place on February 5-8, 2024 at Expocentre. The head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry invited the Iraqi side to take part in the exhibition and informed about the possibility of organizing a presentation of Iraq during such an exhibition. “This will have a great effect and will lead to serious impact,” emphasized Sergei Katyrin.   The trade representative of the Iraqi Embassy in the Russian Federation, Liwa Hammadi Al-Farhani, also spoke at the meeting. Press Service of the Chamber

On September 6, at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, with the support of the Russian-Turkish Dialogue Association and the Russian-Azerbaijani Dialogue Association, a round table meeting "Russia's international cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry and the production of medical equipment" was held. Vadim Vinokurov, General Director of Medargo, noted that after the imposition of sanctions, a number of large foreign multinational companies reduced their activity in the Russian pharmaceutical market. “As you know, Roszdravnadzor issued relevant documents, where he spoke about the withdrawal of more than two hundred drugs from the Russian market. This process continues, and it is still difficult to predict where it will stop and whether it will stop at all,” he stressed. According to Vadim Vinokurov, under these conditions, a great responsibility for the state of the Russian pharmaceutical market and providing the population with medicines falls on the domestic pharmaceutical industry. Valery Sergienko, Chairman of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Committee on Entrepreneurship in Healthcare and the Medical Industry, recalled the importance of discussing international cooperation in this area. “First of all, we work for patients, and it doesn’t matter to the patient where the drug comes from, where the equipment comes from, it is important that these drugs are of high quality and affordable, and the equipment allows them to do everything necessary. Therefore, in situations where there are problems with full import substitution, contacts with friendly countries that have what we lack, can provide significant assistance,” the Chairman of the Committee noted. The President of the Russian-Turkish Dialogue Association, Arsen Ayupov, outlined the problem of a shortage of a number of medicines, medical devices and equipment. In his opinion, overcoming this deficit is currently one of the main tasks facing the industry.   Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Azerbaijan Ruslan Mirsayapov spoke about the possibilities of Azerbaijan in terms of replacing the supply of pharmaceutical products, which are currently unavailable to Russians, and the Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Kazakhstan Anton Loginov presented data on the state of the pharmaceutical industry in Kazakhstan.   The United Arab Emirates and other GCC countries (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain) can become another area for effective international cooperation in medicine and pharmaceuticals for Russian business. According to Alexei Busev, Executive Director of the Russia-Emirates Business Council, today business partners from the UAE are willing to provide an opportunity for Russian entrepreneurship to maintain business activity on their territory.   The moderators were Maria Suvorovskaya, General Director of Business Dialog Media, Editor-in-Chief of the Russian Business Guide, and Vadim Vinokurov, General Director of the pharmaceutical company Medargo. Press Service of the Chamber

Current issues on the bilateral agenda in the field of trade, economic and business cooperation between Russia and Bangladesh were discussed on September 6 at a meeting between Director of the Foreign Relations Department of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Alexander Kopkov and Trade Advisor to the Embassy of the People's Republic of Bangladesh in Moscow Molla Saleheen Shiraj.   Welcoming the guest, Alexander Kopkov noted that, despite the decline in bilateral trade, there are ample opportunities for further development of trade and economic ties with Bangladesh. First of all, by intensifying contacts between business circles, especially at the regional level, emphasized the director of the Department of External Relations.   According to Alexander Kopkov, in connection with the decision of certain large Western suppliers to stop working on the Russian markets, favorable conditions are currently being formed that Bangladeshi exporters can use to increase the volume of goods imported into the Russian Federation and expand their range (textile products, footwear, agricultural crops , tea, seafood). At the same time, additional opportunities for expanding cooperation with Russian regions are opening up, he noted. “We are ready to help use the strengths of Bangladesh's business in Russia,” A. Kopkov said.   The Trade Representative of Bangladesh agreed with this assessment by the Director of the Department and announced the intention of a delegation of business circles from this country to visit Russia to explore opportunities in the field of developing cooperation. Such a visit could take place in November and the delegation would include representatives of businesses that work in the textile industry, he informed.   The representative of Bangladesh stressed the high level of intergovernmental cooperation between Russia and this country, an example of which is the launch of a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, built with the assistance of Russian specialists. He also said that agreements were signed between the regional chambers of commerce and industry of St. Petersburg and Dhaka and Vladivostok and the Bangladeshi port of Chittagong.   Molla Saleheen Shiraj called the production of medicines in Bangladesh, which could be supplied to Russia, an important area of possible cooperation. He also invited the Russian side to take part in the Dhaka International Trade Fair. The representative of Bangladesh described tourism as "the most important potential area of cooperation" and said that there were opportunities in both ways. “Bangladesh could become a new destination for Russian tourists,” he stressed. "In the regions Russian tourists want to visit new palces".   The trade representative called the export of labor from Bangladesh to Russia an important element of cooperation. More than 10 million Bangladeshis work abroad in the construction, shipbuilding and fishing industries, behave law-abidingly and return to their country after earning money, he said.   It is important to continue joint work to expand face-to-face contacts between business circles, including on the sidelines of joint congress and exhibition events (exhibitions, business forums, round tables, seminars, etc.), A. Kopkov noted. The parties also discussed logistics and transport problems in trade between Russia and Bangladesh.   The meeting was attended by Ilya Nesterov, Deputy Director of the Department of External Relations of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.   According to the Russian Federal Customs Service, trade turnover in 2022 decreased by 21.4% compared to 2021 and amounted to USD 2.35 billion under the influence of unfavorable international conditions. The export of Russian goods decreased by 14.8% due to a decrease in the number of supplies of industrial equipment and food and amounted to 1.47 billion US dollars. Imports from Bangladesh, traditionally based on textiles and textile products, decreased by 30.3% and amounted to $0.88 billion.   Press Service of the Chamber